Whole Baked Pumpkin with Harissa Rice
This whole baked pumpkin recipe stuffed with harissa rice is your Halloween show-stopper, a brilliant family meal or Sunday lunch for your ghosts and ghouls!
Ingredients
For the pumpkin
- 1 whole medium pumpkin - seeds removed
- Drizzle olive oil
- Sea salt
For the harissa rice
- 150 g long grain rice rinsed
- Water to cover
- 1 red onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp harissa paste
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- Handful walnuts toasted and roughly chopped
- Handful fresh thyme
- Sea salt and black pepper
For the roasted seeds
- The reserved seeds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Pre- heat your oven to 180c
- Carefully slice the top off the pumpkin and remove all the seeds.
- Place on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt.
- Place the lip by the side of the pumpkin and bake for 45 minutes.
To make the rice
- Cook the rice according to the pack instructions.
- In a frying pan, add the onion and olive oil. Fry on medium for 7-8 minutes until soft.
- Now add the garlic and spices. Fry for a further minute.
- Add the harissa paste, chopped tomatoes and cooked rice.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes then add in the remaining ingredients (walnuts, thyme and seasonings).
- Remove the pumpkin from the oven, carefully fill with the rice mix and bake for 20 minutes with the lid on.
To make the roasted seeds
- Remove any flesh, rinse and then add the seeds to a baking tray.
- Drizzle with olive oil, salt and smoked paprika
- Place in the oven and roast for approx 10 minutes until toasted.
Notes
4 servings